EP-A-0,246,418 discloses a process for aluminising a ferritic stainless steel strip by hot quenching in which the strip is preheated to approximately 677.degree. C. in order to clean its surface and this strip is heated above 843.degree. C. in a reducing atmosphere.
The strip is then cooled in an atmosphere containing at least 95% hydrogen and then, avoiding any contact with the ambient air, the said strip is quenched in a bath of molten aluminium and is dried.
This known process presents several drawbacks.
Firstly, the preheating oxidises the surface of the strip considerably, which means that the strip has to be passed through a hydrogen atmosphere in order to reduce the oxides formed on its surface.
This process applies more particularly to coating with pure aluminum.